Anthony Nitti – 2013 40 Under 40 Honoree

What are the key areas of your firm that have seen the greatest change in workflow over the past few years? Are you using automated workflow tools? At WS+B we have been using XCM for the last five years. Every single work product, regardless if tax, audit, consulting, etc…, everything goes through this workflow tool. The implementation of this tool has allowed us to standardize all workflow thus creating no challenges for our staff in the day to day operations of jobs.

Have you embraced cloud computing for your practice? Are you moving your clients to the cloud? Absolutely 110%. WS+B has historically been at the forefront of cloud computing. Our philosophy has historically been to migrate all of our “mission critical” aqpplications out to the cloud. The recent weather-related event, Hurricane Sandy, that hit in October 2012 reinforced our strong belief in this model to do business. If it were not for our cloud-based philosophy, our firm would have been down for significantly longer. Our clients are alos big believers in this odel and we continually suggest cloud-based solutions to them as well.

On a broader scale, how do you see new technologies changing the accounting profession in the near term (3-5 years)? The influx of new technologies will continue to drive change in our profession. For a CPA firm to keep their competitive edge, they should evaluate each major technology change and evaluate its current and future impact upon its operations. Don’t change for the sake of changing, but instead make an educated decision about change and change to increase efficiency and to put the firm in a position to “better” serve its clients.

How mobile are you regarding your work? How have mobile devices and apps impacted your productivity and work-life balance? Extremely mobile. iPhone apps providing access to tax research mean I’m never more than a few taps away from providing value to clients.

Have you found business success via social media, either via recognizable ROI, new customers, marketing or networking? I have. Writing for my firm’s tax blog — Double Taxation — eventually caught the attention of Forbes.com, who brought me on as a full-time contributor, providing invaluable marketing exposure for my firm.

What single piece of technology do you find the most important in your professional life? My laptop. I do a great deal of writing, and while tablets and smartphones have made significant advancements, there’s no replacing a standard keyboard when you need to crank out 4,000 words.

What brand/model mobile phone do you use? iPhone 5

Do you use a tablet for work purposes? I do not.

What is your favorite accounting mobile app, and why? I use the CCH Mobile Tax App quite a bit.           

How many monitors do you have on your desktop workstation? Just one in addition to my laptop.        

Read more about this year’s 40 Under 40 Honorees.